The Joshua Tree, a Cheshire-based charity supporting families affected by childhood cancers, had the incredible honour of being chosen as the focus of this year’s DIY SOS for BBC Children in Need.
In just over 12 days, an extraordinary team of tradespeople, suppliers, and volunteers came together to help transform The Joshua Tree’s Family Support Centre in Cheshire.
The expansion was essential as demand for services is growing rapidly year on year and the charity had reached full capacity.
The desperate need of a second building is to provide more space and facilities for families living with the life-changing experience of childhood cancer to access the support they need, in a safe space, at every stage of their journey.
A Huge Step Forward
This build was one of the largest ever completed for BBC Children in Need. This brand-new, two-storey facility is equivalent in size to four terraced houses!
It features:
- Two family accommodation studios
- A fully equipped gym for wellbeing and rehabilitation
- Two complementary therapy suites
- A teenage breakout room
- Two counselling rooms
- A multifunctional recreation space
- An outdoor therapy garden
The power of Community
Every day, around 250 volunteers arrived, from local tradesmen to returning DIY SOS regulars from as far as Glasgow, Devon, and the Midlands. Groundworkers, carpenters, plasterers, electricians, decorators and countless others worked side by side with passion and dedication to create something truly life-changing.
Founders Dai and Lynda Hill, were overwhelmed by the generosity of the volunteers. “It’s incredible, people came from far and wide to help us. The energy, compassion, and teamwork were just inspiring. We can’t thank them or BBC Children in Need enough.”
The dedication of every volunteer highlighted the extraordinary impact that community can have, turning the charity’s vision into reality and helping ensure that families have the facilities and support they desperately need.
“A Dream Come True”
CEO, Rich Driffield, shared what this incredible project means for the charity:
“The Joshua Tree was founded in 2006 by Dai and Lynda Hill, after their son Josh went through treatment for leukaemia. They saw first-hand the lack of emotional and wellbeing support for families, and The Joshua Tree was born.
Over the past 14 years, we’ve grown from a small operation in a church hall to a fully-fledged Support Centre. Now, thanks to DIY SOS for BBC Children in Need, we’ve taken things to the next level.
As demand for our services grows, we’ve effectively doubled in size over the past four years, which means we now need around £1 million each year to keep running. This expansion felt like a distant dream, until now.”
The project began after a conversation between Rich and the BBC Children in Need team about the possibility of involving The Joshua Tree in their annual live show.
“We’ve received BBC Children in Need funding for several years to support our Family Support Workers,” Rich explains. “When the idea of DIY SOS came up, it just clicked. After a series of interviews, site visits and conversations with families, everything fell into place.”
What It Means for Families
The expansion means more families like Craig and Vicky’s will get the help they need. Their six-year-old son Harry was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in 2022, and The Joshua Tree has been their lifeline of support ever since.
“When you’re thrown into hospital life, there’s so much to take in,” says Craig. “Another parent mentioned The Joshua Tree, and that’s where our journey began. They’ve been our rock, there for us every single time we’ve needed them.”
From sibling support and wellbeing sessions to family fun days, The Joshua Tree has helped the family navigate the long road through treatment and beyond.
Supporting The Joshua Tree
The DIY SOS project marks a new era for The Joshua Tree. With this expansion, we expect the number of families we support to double in the coming year, raising to around 800 families, but that also means our running costs will increase significantly.
We rely on the generosity of supporters to keep providing our essential emotional, practical, and wellbeing services, all free of charge to families affected by childhood cancers.
You can help us continue to make a difference.
Explore how you can support The Joshua Tree, through a one-off donation, regular donations, fundraising, or a corporate partnership.
>>> Support The Joshua Tree
>>> Make a donation
